Wednesday, October 10, 2007

The building Walentas

BROOKLYN HEIGHTS LOOPHOLEBy RICH CALDER, NY Post

"Two Trees" is growing in Brooklyn, thanks to a legal loophole that has historic-district residents scared of the shadows.

Father-and-son developers David and Jed Walentas, of Two Trees Management, are seeking city approval to build a 60-foot, 37-unit luxury rental building on Atlantic Avenue off Court Street in Cobble Hill that would exceed that historic district's 50-foot height limit.

They are taking advantage of a little-known regulation that lets property owners in a historic district exceed height limits if they can show that doing so would enhance the neighborhood.

The developers got the green light from the Planning Commission last month after arguing the project would help preserve a landmarked bank building next door.

11 comments:

They are taking advantage of a little-known regulation that lets property owners in a historic district exceed height limits if they can show that doing so would enhance the neighborhood.

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Ever notice after a community exhausts itself financially and emotionally fighting developers/campaign donors for the clubhouse in either down zoning or getting legislation passed or moving court cases beyond machine backed judges, there are these little loopholes that pop up making everything pointless?

It's not Trader Joe's that would be an extra 10 feet. It's the new apt bldg Walentas is building next door. Why not have Trader Joe's in the old bank building AND a new apt blding that is in line with local height regulations? It's these regs that have allowed the neighborhood to maintain its nice, non-Mantattan feel.

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